The US Transplant Games May Be Over, But Their Spirit Lives On!
Be sure to check out the comprehensive reporting and photo galleries from the 2008 US Transplant Games at www.transplantgames.org! The stories and photos cover all the athletic events, donor recognition ceremonies and other special programs & events for transplant recipients, donor families and living donors. Don't miss this chance to get a sense of the achievements and emotional impact this amazing event inspires. And be sure to "Save the Date" for the 2010 U.S. Transplant Games, which will be held July 30- August 4, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin.
30 Years and Counting
I COULDN'T WAIT TO OPEN THE MAILBOX. I reached in and grabbed the unique birthday card. It was neatly addressed to my kidney and was from my father, Cy Koppa, of Mosinee, Wisconsin.
My 79-year-old father has done this every year in commemoration of the day he donated his kidney to me. This year's card was special because it's been 30 years since my transplant. From 1975 on, the cards have been accompanied with amounts of money corresponding to the number of years since the transplant. Each card from 1975 on had money enclosed for the number of years since the transplant. I received $30.00 this year, and I intend to get richer!
I remember my surgery as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. When I returned from the recovery room at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, I saw my Dad slowly circling the nursing station. He came into my room holding something more than his catheter bag behind his back. He walked up to the bed and he handed me a replica of a doll I played with as a toddler. He looked me in the eye and said, "Fathers are the luckiest people in the world because they have daughters." Then he added, "I'm the luckiest father in the whole world because I gave birth to you—twice." 
An Online Resource for Living Donation
Welcome to the National Kidney Foundation's online resource for living donation! Whether you are a living donor, potential donor, recipient, family member or friend, you'll find many different resources here.
The issues surrounding living donation are unique, and potential donors may have questions and fears related to medical concerns, emotional and financial needs and relationships. We encourage you and your family to explore this site and connect with professionals and other living donors who understand your questions.
Comments or questions? Email livingdonors@kidney.org or call 800.622.9010. We'd love to hear from you!
About Living Donation
Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant. The donor is most often a close family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister. A donor can also be a more distant family member, spouse, friend or co-worker. Non-directed donors - those who donate anonymously and do not know their recipients - are becoming more common. Click here for Q&A on Living Donation
About the National Kidney Foundation
Livingdonors.org was developed by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), a major voluntary health organization that seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. Through our living donor programs, NKF seeks to support living donors and their families and to provide educational resources to those considering donation.
Become a part of "People Like Us" a growing movement to empower, educate and enable people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), transplant recipients, donors and family members to become effective advocates on issues related to their health.
